Air-brake system.



. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

I. H. DUKBSMITH. AIR BRAKE $YSTBM.

APPLICATION 11,313 DEG-8,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR- wrmzsszs v No. 819,415.

F- H. DUKESMITH. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 1905.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3 WITNESSES.

ggg INVENTO FL PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. A

- no provision for so applying mvrrnn STATES PATENT ()IFFICE.

FRANK H. DUKESMITH, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented May 1, 1906.

Application filed December 8, 1905- Serial No. 290,980.

gine-brakes may be applied by aii" taken directly from the auxiliaryreservoir, and whereby the engine auxiliary reservoir can be exhaustedin order to 'get a very quick release of the engine-brakes in case of aburst hose or other condition requiring immediate release of theengine-brakes in order to prevent the remainder of the train frombuckling.

One of the defects in existing air-brake systems arises from the factthat the engineer has no control of the engine-brakes independently ofthe train-brakes. Many conditions arise under which this isadvisablesuch, for instance, as to prevent overheating of theengine-tires or train car-wheels, skidding of the engine-wheels, topermit of recharging the train auxiliary reservoirs when descendinggrades, and other conditions well known to railroad men and in which acontrol of the engine-brakes independently of thetrain-brakes is highlydesirable.

In the running of railway-trains conditions frequently arise, andespecially in switching, in which it is desirable to provide for theapplication of the engine-brakes by straight air. Most of the existingair-brake systems have the enginebrakes, thus making it diflicult tohandle the engine in switching cars and also frequently making itimpossible to apply the brakes on the train, as may occur in case thetriple valves should become deranged or cut out, and thus prevent theautomatic operation of the brakes.

In case of bursting of a hose or the trainpipe the brakes areset withvery great force, and as the engine-brakes have ractically the sameholdin effect as the bra es on eight or ten cars the ursting of a hosewill cause the front end of the train to be held practically rigid atthe engine, while the remainder of the train will bunch onto the engine,fre quently causing the train to buckle and throwing some of the carsoff the track. This has led to many very serious wrecks. In fact, thebursting of a hose invariably leads to a wreck of a greater or lessdegree if the train is running at any considerable speed. To preventthese wrecks, it is necessary that the engine-brakes be very quicklyreleasedin order to relieve the holdin power at the front end of thetrain. With a 1 modern automatic air-brake systems the engineebrakes canbe released only through the exhaust-port of the 1 triple valve or bybleeding the brake-cylinder. In either case, however, the exhaust of airfrom the brake-cylinder is comparatively slow, it requiring from twentyto thirty seconds to entirely release the. engine-brakes when the triplevalve is in full emergency position. The reason for this is that theauxiliaryreservoir pressure must be drained through the triple valve,the ports of which are small. i The present invention provides anairbrake system in which all of the foregoing def eets are overcome, andprovision is made for applying and releasing the brakes in such a mannerthat the engine-brakes can be controlled independently of thetrain-brakes for any purposeand wherein the engine-brakes may be appliedby straight air from the auxiliary reservoir and wherein the engineauxiliary reservoir can be directly vented to the atmosphere in order toget the quick release of the engine-brakes in case of burst hoseorsimilar emergency. These several functions are accomplished by thearrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of anair-brake system with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a planview of the engineers auxiliary control-valve mechanism. Figs. 3 and 4are vertical transverse sections of said valve mechanism, taken on thelines 3 3 and 4 4, Fig. 2; and Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are horizontalsectional views through the valve, the different positions thereof.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the main reservoir; 2, the usual engineersvalve ,3, the train-pipe; 4, the engine-brake cylinders 5, the engineauxiliary reservoir, and 6 the engine triple valve. All of these partsmay be of the same construction as usually employed IIO the exhaust-portof the engine triple valve by means of a pipe 12. The valve itselfcomprises a suitable casing 14, provided with a port 15, to which theauxiliary-reservoir pipe 9 is connected, ports 16 and 17, to which theengine-brake-cylinder pipe 11 is connected, a

' port 18-, to which the triple-valve exhaustpipe 12 is connected, ports19 and 20, leading to the atmosphere, and a port 21, to which the engineauxiliary-reservoir pipe 10 is connected. The ports 15, 16, 18, 19, and21 are in one horizontal plane, while the ports 17 and'20are inadifferent horizontal plane. Working in this casing is an ordinaryconical plug-valve 23, having cut in one side a groove or passage 24,which is in the same horizontal plane as the ports 15, 16., 18, 19, and21, and being provided above said groove with a port 25, cored throughsaid plug and adapted to control the ports 17 and-20. This plug-valve isheld in the casing by the usual cap 26 and is held against its seat by agraduated spring 27. A suitable handle 28 is provided for turning theplug, this handle having the usual spring-detent 29 adapted to fit innotches 30 in the valve-cap or other convenient part, these notchesdetermining the various positions of the valve.

The valve has five positions, as follows:

First. Full-release position.In this position (shown in Fig. 5) groove24 connects the auxiliary-reservoir port 21 with the exhaustport 19,while the port 25 in the valve connects the brake-cylinder port 17 withexhaust- .port 2. As a consequence the air is exausted from both theauxiliary reservoir and the brake-cylinder on the engine without havingto pass through the engine triple valve. As a consequence theengine-brakes are released very rapidly, and by making the several pipesof sufiicient size this release may, if desired, be practicallyinstantaneous. In any event the release will require only a frac tion ofthe time required by existing systems. As a consequence in case of'aburst hose the engine-brakes can be released so quickly as to preventthe remainder of the train from piling onto the engine and buckling thetrain, causing the wrecks referred to.

- Second. Normal position.In this position (shown in Fig. 6) the roove24 of the valve connects the triple-Va ve exhaust-port 18 to theexhaust-port 19 while all other ports in the valve are closed. As aconsequence the engine triple valve will be in the same condition as anyordinary triple valve and the engine-br'akes can be applied and releasedin the usual manner by the engineers brake-valve 2.. Consequently theengineer has the same control over the train and engine brakes as withthe ordinary automatic brake system.

Third. Cylinder-release p0siti0n.In this position (shown in Fig. 7) thegroove 24 of the valve connects the brake-cylinder port 16 with theexhaust-port 19, while all other 'ports'in' the valve are lapped, exceptthe tri-' ple-valve exhaust-port 18, which is also open to the groove 24and through the same to the atmosphere. In case the brakes have beenapplied by the engineer's valve the engineer can bring the control-valveto cylinder-release position, and thereby release the brakes on theengine while holding the brakes on the remainder of the train, and ifthe engine triple valve is in lap position this will not affect thepressure in the engine auxiliary reservoir.

Fourth. Lap p0siti0n.In this position (shown in Fig. 8) all of the portsin the valve are closed and will serve to retain the brakes on theengine, as may be necessary in case the engineer wishes to recharge theauxiliary reservoirs on the train or to take the slack out of the train.

Fifth. Application p0siti0rt.-In this position (shown in Fig. 9) thegroove 24 in the valve connects the auxiliary-reservoir port 15 directlyto the brake-cylinder port 16, and as a consequence auxiliary-reservoirpressure is taken directly into the engine brakecylinder. As aconsequence the enginebrakes can be fully applied and released eventhough the triple valve on the engine should be inoperative for anyreason. To prevent the overcharging of the brake-cyL inder in thisposition, it is preferable to place a reducing-valve, such as shown at32, in the connection between the control-valve and the auxiliaryreservoir. By taking the air from the auxiliary reservoir instead of themain reservoir I avoid wasting air from the train-pipe and at the sametime get equally as efficient an application of .the brakes. Theauxiliary reservoir will be recharged automatically through the triplevalve.

The operation of the valve will be understood from the foregoingdescription. Under all ordinary running conditions the auxiliarycontrol-valve will be placed in the second or normal position, so thatthe engineer may have the usual control over his engine and train brakesby means of the engineer's valve. By bringing the valve to the fourother positions above described the several functions mentioned will beattained.

What I claim is- 1. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination ofa brake-cylinder, an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and an engineers valve connected in the usual way, and control valve mechanismconnected to the auxiliary reservoir and to the brake-cylinder andarranged to connect both the brake-cylinder and auxiliary reservoir tothe atmosphere.

'sians s;

2 In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of a brake-cylinder,an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and an engineers valve connectedin the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connected to theauxiliary-reservoir port and to the triple-valve exhaust port andarranged to connect both of said ports to the atmosphere.

3. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of abrake-cylinder, an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and an engineersvalve connected in the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connectedto the auxiliary reservoir and the brake-cylinder, and arranged toconnect the auxiliary reservoir to both the atmosphere and to thebrakecylinder.

4. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of abrake-cylinder, an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and an engineersvalve connected in the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connectedto the brakecylinder, the auxiliary reservoir, and the triple-valveexhaust-port, and arranged to connect each of these to the atmosphere.

5. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of abrake-cylinder, an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and .an engineersvalve connected in the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connectedto the triple-valve exhaust-port the brake-cylinder and the auxiliaryreservoir, and arranged to connect the triple-valve exhaust-port andbrake-cylinder to the atmosphere and connect the auxiliary reservoir tothe brake-cylinder.

6. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of abrake-cylinder, an auxil iary reservoir, a triple valve and an engineersvalve connected in the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connectedto the auxiliary reservoir, the brake-cylinder, and the triple-valveexhaust-port, and arranged to connect the auxiliary reservoir, thetriplevalve exhaust, and the brake-cylinder to the atmosphere, and toalso connect the auxiliary reservoir to the brake-cylinder.

7. In an automatic air-brake system, the combination of abrake-cylinder,an auxiliary reservoir, a triple valve and anengineers valve connectedin the usual Way, and control-valve mechanism connected to the auxiliaryreservoir and brake-cylinder, and ar-= ranged in one position to connectthe auxiliary reservoir and the brake-cylinder to the atmosphere, and inanother position to connlelct only the brake-cylinder to the atmosere.

p In testimony whereof I, the said FRANK H. DUKESMITH, have hereunto setmy hand.

FRANK H. DUKESMITH.

